Blackhawks' rivalry with Canucks reignited

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Another chapter in the rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks will be written Friday night at GM Place in Vancouver.

The teams are meeting for the first time since Hawks defenseman Duncan Keith injured Canucks winger Daniel Sedin with an elbow to the head March 21, 2012, the latest incident in a rivalry that has been raging for the last four seasons.

"I'm not really focused on what they're going to do," Keith said following Friday's morning skate regarding any possible retaliation for the hit. "They have a good team and we have a good team too. We're focused on what we're going to do out there and how we're going to play. I'm not worried about anything else."

Keith was suspended five games for the hit that gave Sedin a concussion, forcing him to miss the final few games of the 2011-12 regular season and a portion of the playoffs.

"I was punished for that," Keith said. "It's not something I was obviously very proud of. For me, it's in the past and I'm looking forward to the game. We've played these guys a lot over the years. We have a lot of respect for their players and the way they compete and how good they are. I don't dislike anybody I play against. I don't have a problem.

"I try to play an honest game," Keith added. "Sometimes hockey is an intense game. You have to always be careful and smart in certain situations and not react in the wrong way. It's almost a year ago now. I've moved forward and I was glad to see him come back and play in the playoffs. I mean that."

The Canucks said their main focus is to win the game and not draw penalties trying to get some payback.

"First and foremost, we want the two points," said goaltender Robert Luongo, who will make his third consecutive start in goal for the Canucks. "That's what we're here for. That stuff will sort itself out whenever the time is right but we're here to get the win. I don't think we're going to put ourselves in any type of jeopardy by taking penalties or anything like that."

Added center Henrik Sedin: "It's a big game for us. If we're going to run around and do other things than play hockey it's going to be a tough game for us. We've had a great rivalry from a couple of years back. They have a great team, we think we have a great team and it always seems to bring out the best in both of us. I don't think that one incident has made it any better or worse."

In recent seasons, the rivalry has included a line brawl during which Canucks forward Alexandre Burrows pulled Keith's hair during a fight, Willie Mitchell's open-ice hit on the Hawks' Jonathan Toews that gave the captain a concussion, verbal sparring between the coaches and Hawks center Dave Bolland referring to Henrik and Daniel Sedin as the "Sedin Sisters." Throw in three consecutive showdowns in the postseason prior to last year, and there is a tangible animosity among the players.

"That's a team that we dislike a lot," Burrows said. "We've seen them quite a bit in the playoffs the last few years. It's always a good match-ups against them. It's never tough to get up for those games. We'll be ready but at the end of the day we want the two points and that's the bottom line."